2022 sees biggest fall in Government debt since 2014 – NTMA
Ireland’s General Government debt fell by €11 billion to €225 billion in 2022 and has the potential to fall below €200 billion by 2030, according to the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA). The NTMA has published its 2023 mid-year business update which shows that the fall in Government debt in 2022 was the first since […]
1 in 3 struggling to survive financially – CCPC report
One in three people in Ireland say they are just about getting by financially, a new report conducted on behalf of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) suggests. More than 1,500 people were surveyed for the study, which is the first in a series of reports on financial wellbeing in Ireland. The study and […]
Euro zone consumers see lower inflation ahead – ECB poll
Euro zone consumers cut their inflation expectations for the following 12 months again in May, although they still saw prices growing faster than the European Central Bank would like for years to come, a new ECB poll showed today. The ECB’s monthly Consumer Expectations Survey also showed modest expectations for income growth. The survey was […]
Steady service sector growth reignites inflationary pressures
The services sector covers areas as diverse as communication, financial and business services, IT and the tourism trade The services sector covers areas as diverse as communication, financial and business services, IT and the tourism trade The country’s services sector grew at a strong rate again last month, reigniting inflationary pressures as both input costs […]
Euro zone business activity contracts in June – PMI
Euro zone business activity slipped into contractionary territory last month in a broad-based downturn across the bloc’s dominant services industry and a deepening decline of factory output, a survey showed. HCOB’s final Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, slumped to 49.9 in […]
Summer Economic Statement may increase core spending by 6.1%
The Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath and Paschal Donohoe are expected to publish their Summer Economic Statement today. This document sets out the parameters for spending and tax cuts in the upcoming Budget. The surplus in the public finances this year is forecast to reach €10 billion, thanks mainly to […]
Most US companies plan to increase employment here – AmCham survey
The majority of American multinationals with operations here expect to increase employment in the coming year, according to the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland. In a survey of its members conducted to coincide with 4th July celebrations, 70% of respondents said they plan to hire more staff at their Irish operations over the next 12 […]
53% of Northern Ireland’s exports go to Ireland – ESRI
New research from ESRI shows that the Republic accounts for more than half of Northern Ireland’s exports, mainly due to Brexit. According to the Economic and Social Research Insitutute study, Northern Ireland reported a total of €7.6 billion in goods imports and €10.5 billion in goods exports in 2021 (excluding sales to Great Britain). About […]
Manufacturing slump drags employment lower – PMI
A slump in manufacturing activity deepened slightly last month, hitting a fresh three year low and leading to a fall in employment in the sector for only the second month across that period, a survey showed today. The AIB S&P Global manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 47.3 from 47.5 in May. The PMI […]
Work-life balance act to extend leave for parents and carers
Workers will be able to avail of extended breastfeeding breaks and new unpaid leave entitlements as part of the work-life balance act. Under the legislation, the entitlement to breastfeeding breaks will be extended from the current period of six months up to two years. In addition to this, parents and carers will be entitled to […]
Toll charges on national road network increases
Toll charges on most of the country’s national road network have increased today after a six-month deferment by the Government and there have been warnings that tolls are highly likely to rise again. The Automobile Association said it would like to see a review of the public-private partnerships behind many toll roads. Ten roads across […]
ESRI downgrades GDP growth outlook for Irish economy
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has downgraded substantially its outlook for growth in Gross Domestic Product terms for the Irish economy, but it says the underlying position of the economy is still very strong. The ESRI says the domestic economy – as measured by Modified Domestic Demand (MDD) – is expected to experience […]
Rate of house price inflation moderates further as first time buyers dominate
The annual rate of house price inflation continued to ease during the first half of the year, the latest residential market review from property advisors DNG shows, while first time buyers continue to dominate the market. The annual rate of growth in prices at a national level (excluding Dublin) slowed to 3.4% for the year […]
Inflation rate estimated to have slowed to 4.8% in June from 5.4% in May – CSO
Inflation in Ireland, as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, is estimated to have moderated to an annual rate of 4.8% in June from 5.4% in May, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show. Today’s CSO flash inflation figures show that energy prices are estimated to have increased by 0.9% in the […]
ESRI downgrades GDP growth outlook for Irish economy
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has downgraded substantially its outlook for growth in Gross Domestic Product terms for the Irish economy, but it says the underlying position of the economy is still very strong. The ESRI says the domestic economy – as measured by Modified Domestic Demand (MDD) – is expected to experience […]
Contactless payments surge to 3 million payments per day
The volume of contactless payments rose by almost 18% year-on-year to more than 268 million in the first quarter of the year, hitting three million payments a day. According to the latest Payments Monitor from Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI), the value of contactless payments also increased, rising by 22% to almost €4.6 billion […]
Government announces plan to boost cybersecurity
The Government has published a plan to boost cybersecurity, which includes measures to support the potential growth of the cybersecurity industry. The Mid-Term Review of the National Cyber Security Strategy 2019-2024 sets out 18 new actions to be implemented within the lifetime of the strategy. In a bid to address skills shortages, the plan will […]
EU to take next step towards digital euro
The EU is set to take the next crucial step towards launching a digital version of the euro, a controversial project that has come under attack from the public, politicians and banks before it even exists. From China to the United States, Jamaica to Japan, dozens of central banks worldwide are exploring or have already […]